St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-03
INTERSTATE COMMISSION.
Case Presented by Southern Line
Relative I'D Long HauIs.


WASHINGTON, April 2.-The interstate
commerce commission began active work at
II o'clock this morning. At that time
eX-Gov Rufus B. Bullock, DR.. r. d.
Spaulding and S. f. Woodson. a committee
appointed by the Atlanta chamber of COM
merce to cooperate with the Southern
Railway and Steamship association in seek
Ing such liberal Interpretation or modifica-
ton OF the operation of the Interstate COM
merce act as may be deemed necessary for
the protection of the manufacturing and
commercial interests of this and other
Southern societies, were granted hearing.
Gov. Bullock, speaking for his associates
and himself. thanked the commission for
the opportunity afforded and read the fol-
lowing paper:
To the Honorable, the Interstate Commerce
Commission, Gentlemen: We, the UNDER
signed, committee appointed by the Atlanta
chamber of commerce for that purpose, re-
spectfully represent to your honorable body
that the territory covered by the Southern
Railway and Steamship aSsociation is compar-
atively
SPARSELY POPULATED
and that the trade centers or distr1butive
cities within that territory are widely separ-
ated. and therefore that rule which would
apply to lines in more populous sections of
the country would be disastrous to U.S. The
rates of freight now in force by said associa-
ton, which is the territory south of the Poto-
mae and Ohio and east of the Mississippi
rivers, are the result of ten
years of experiment, modified by the orders
OF railroad commissioners in the several
states and by appeals from commercial bodies
like our own, representing the interests of
shippers Your petitioners further represent
that the rates now in force. as embodied in
4 riff offl Doll,
ship association. are acceptable to our ship
,spers generally, and under them trade has
been established, contracts for purchase and
sale of commodities have been entered into.
and a sudden change would prove seriously
hurtful to parties interested. We are in
formed by the railway management that
under the fear of penalties provided by the
interstate commerce law their roads will be
compelled to largely increase their rates on
the 9Th inst. This will destroy the whole sys-
tenn of rates upon which our Southern manu-
featuring industries have been founded and
DISORGANIZE AND PARALYZE
the trade centers upon and through which
wholesale dealers have established their ex-
tended business. We therefore respectfully
petition your honorable body to pass on or
before the 9Th day of April to the effect that
the schedule of rates in the territory south of
the Potomac and Ohio, and east of the Mis-
sissippi rivers, so far as these rates relate to
interstate commerce, be declared in force
until the further order of your honorable
commission, and that a reasonable time will
be given for u further hearing and revision
before any changes are put in force. We
submit herewith a Schedule of rates of
the Southern Railway s. Steamship associa-
ton to which we have referred. We also in
vite your attention to the accompanying COM
parative statement which we have prepared
of the present rates, by which is shown the
great increase which will occur in rates to
nrin nintS fha,
force, and the rates they now understand the
new law will require.
The showing made by the comparative
statement submitted may be judged by
the fact that the rates from New York
to Atlanta. Montgomery. Selma. Rome,
Dalton and Chattanooga will be increased
from S1.40 to S1.41, to Macon from 81. 90
to S1.35, to Augusta from SO cents to $1.21,
from Cincinnati to Atlanta from S1.07 to
Sl.26. to Macon and Augusta from SLOT to
$1.46. The chairman of the commission
Judge Cooley remarked interrogatiyely
that he understood the application to be in
part at least in support of the Applicant on
which had been made by the railroad COM
panieS for
PERMISSION TO CHARGE LESS
for long than for short hauls. Gov. Bull
lock responded afirmatively. At present,
queried the chairman, the railroads are
charging less for longer than for a shorter
distance. Gov. Bullock said this was the
case, where it was necessary to meet the
circumstances of water transportation. The
chairman asked the opinion of the commit
tee with respect to the authority of the COM
mission to make the order asked of them.
Gov. Bullock replied that as they read the
provisions of the fourth section they under
stood the commission had the authority.
The railroads. he added, had informed
them that unless they made the
rates at once they would be liza
BILE to penalties under the law.
Contracts had been made by merchants for
delivery three months hence, based upon
the rates which prevailed at the time. Now
to suddenly raise these rates would prove
disastrous. A brief colloquy, during which
in reply to queries by Col. Walker and Mr..
Morrison, the position of the committee in
respect to some details was elaborated,
ended the hearing. The whole proceeding
was an informality, the hearing being
granted at this time, as a few gentlemen
had come from distance to present their
cases. No formal consideration of this
question, or any other, will be undertaken
before the 5th inst, on which date the law
goes into effect.
Sale OF Chicago & Eastern Illinois.
NEW YORK, April 2.-The negotiations
which began about week ago between II.
ii. Porter and President Stevens, of the
Chicago & Eastern Illinois railroad, were
consummated to-day by the sale of all the
stock OF the company, except 1000 shares,
at ITO. The purchase was made by r. P.
Flower $50, who acted for II. H. Porter
and his associates, and the st, ok was trans
ferred Immediately after the agreement
was signed. AS soon as the transfer was
effected majority of the old board of di-
rectors, viz: j. c. Knapp, of New York;
c. T. Baker, of Boston; c. F. Leonard, of
Springfield, ILL.,; F. A. Peters, of Boston;
S. NJ. Crosby, of Brooklyn, VT. and
P. w. Clement, of Boston. resigned, and
Richard NJ. Hoe. Ogden Mills, David Bows,
Jr., A. r. Flower and H H. HOLSTER, of